Film Independent’s 5th Annual Filmmaker Forum is a widely attended event, giving attendees access to some of the most innovative names in independent filmmaking, as well as the most useful information available on how to get your movie made, bought, sold, and marketed in today’s changing marketplace. The 2009 Forum is sponsored by Premier Sponsors Kodak, SAGIndie/Screen Actors Guild, Sony Pictures Classics, Directors Guild of America, Deluxe Entertainment Services, EFilm® and Withoutabox, a division of IMDb.com and Principal Sponsors NBC Universal and Rovi.
The three-day Forum kicks off Friday night with a special screening and Q&A with the filmmakers of an upcoming film, followed by the opening night reception. The remainder of the weekend is filled with intensive panel discussions, one-of-a-kind case studies, and the opportunity to personally connect with top filmmakers and industry leaders. Speakers for the 2009 Filmmaker Forum include:
Richard Abramowitz, Abramorama Entertainment
Claire Aguilar, ITVS
John August, Writer/Director, The Nines
Peter Broderick, Paradigm Consulting
Seth Caplan, Producer, In Search of a Midnight Kiss
Michael Cieply, New York Times
Laura Gabbert, Director, No Impact Man
Alex Holdridge, Director, In Search of a Midnight Kiss
Kevin Iwashina, IP Advisors/Hunting Lane Films
Scott Kennedy, Director, The Garden
Richard Klubeck, UTA
Ted Kroeber, Producer, American Gun
Michael London, Groundswell Productions
Rena Ronson
Cathy Schulman, Mandalay Pictures
Matt Tyrnauer, Director, Valentino: The Last Emperor
Laurie Woodrow, President, Trans-Pacific Media
This year’s keynote speaker, opening night film and additional panelists will be announced in the coming weeks.
Topics for this year’s panels are: Following the Money Trail: The Economics of Independent Film, The Doc Is In; Sweet and Low Budget: Making Financial Sense; Money for Docs; Changing Technology: A Multiple Choice Question?; Production Case Studies: Necessity is the Mother of Invention; Going Online: New Stories for New Media; Indielink @ the Forum: Festivals, Markets, Sales Agents, Distributors; Has the Dust Settled? - A Roundtable Discussion; New Uses for Film Festivals; Distribution Case Studies; Day and Date: Three Years and Counting; Cultivating Your Audience in the Digital Era; The International Markeplace: Is the Grass Greener Abroad?; Cracking the Educational Market; and Film Festivals at a Crossroads.
The event concludes on Sunday evening with a cocktail reception at the DGA at 6:30 pm with the announcement of the Film Independent/Sloan Producers Grant recipient – which carries a production grant of $25,000. The grant is funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which seeks to create and develop new scripts and films about science and technology, and to see them into commercial production with national and international distribution.
Official Website: http://www.FilmIndependent.org